The present invention relates to an oscillating mechanism in a fixed-spool fishing reel of the closed-face type, having a frame in which the oscillating mechanism is disposed, a spool housing mounted on the frame, a line spool mounted in the spool housing for axial oscillation therein and connected to the oscillating mechanism to be oscillated thereby, a line-winding mechanism rotatably mounted in the spool housing and adapted, when being rotated, to wind a fishing line on the line spool, a handle mounted on the frame and having a shaft connected to said line-winding mechanism and to said oscillating mechanism and adapted, when the handle is being turned, to drive the line-winding mechanism as well as the oscillating mechanism.
In a prior-art fishing reel of this type, the line-winding mechanism consists of a line-winding cup surrounding the line spool and having two diametrically opposed pick-up pins. The line-winding cup has a shaft with a gear nonrotatably mounted thereon. A crown wheel nonrotatably connected to the shaft of the handle meshes with this gear for rotating the line-winding cup when the handle is turned. The gear ratio between the crown wheel and the gear is so selected that a suitable line-winding speed is achieved when the handle is turned at a normal rate. A suitable gear ratio is 1:4, which means that the line-winding cup will rotate four revolutions for each revolution of the handle.
In the above-mentioned prior-art fishing reel, the oscillating mechanism consists of a plate nonrotatably connected to the shaft of the handle and having an eccentric pin, and of a slide connected to the line spool and having an elongate recess in which the eccentric pin engages to oscillate the slide and, hence, the line spool when the handle is turned. In this prior-art construction, the slide performs one oscillating cycle for each revolution of the handle.
Thus, for each revolution of the handle, the line-winding cup rotates four revolutions while the line spool is caused by the slide to perform one oscillating cycle. For each revolution of the handle, the fishing line will be wound four turns on the line spool at a relatively small pitch, which is determined by the speed at which the line is moved relative to the line spool in the axial direction thereof, that is by the oscillating speed. When a thin fishing line is used, it sometimes happens that the line during the very line-winding operation wedges its way down between two turns of the line on the line spool, with a consequent risk of the line getting stuck therebetween, whereby to prevent a subsequent cast from being properly executed.